Beverly “Guitar” Watkins was a bad ass blues musician. Known for her fiery performances and virtuosic guitar skills, she often played her Fender Mustang guitar, nicknamed “Red Mama” and “Sugar Baby,” behind her back like it was no big deal. Blues legend Taj Mahal aptly described Watkins as “a flat-out musician who can duke it out on stage with the best there is—man, woman, or child prodigy” (Sandomir, 2019). Yet, despite her immense talent, Watkins remained largely underappreciated in her lifetime. In an article for the Oxford American, Rachel Maddux (2016) rightly observed that Beverly “Guitar” Watkins “is probably the greatest living blues guitarist that no one has ever heard of.” Sadly, Watkins died of a heart attack on October 1, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 80, but my hope is that through this project more people will come to know who she was and understand her impact on blues music, ensuring her legacy lives on as a trailblazing and gifted artist.
Source: Discogs
Beverly Watkins was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 6, 1939. Her early life was marked by loss; her mother died when she was just three months old, leaving her to be raised by her maternal grandparents. After her grandfather’s death, Watkins lived with various relatives, ultimately being cared for by her Aunt Bee until Bee’s passing in 1974 (Haile-Mariam, 2016).
Watkins’s childhood was steeped in music. Her grandfather, Luke Hayes, played the banjo, her father, Lonnie Watkins, played the harmonica, and her aunts, known as the Hayes Sisters, performed in a gospel quartet (Skelly, n.d.). It was her Aunt Margaret who bought her a Stella guitar at age eight, sparking a lifelong passion. When asked in an interview “who introduced her to the blues?” she replied, “It was born in me, from my ancestors.” For Watkins, those ancestors included her musical forbearers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight (Haile-Mariam, 2016).
By high school, Watkins had also learned to play piano, bass, and trumpet, and her band teacher further nurtured her guitar skills by teaching her to tune and play scales (Cooper, 1999). At 17, she joined Bill West Stone and the Down Beats Combo before landing a spot as rhythm guitarist with Piano Red and the Meter Tones, a group that evolved into Dr. Feelgood and the Interns (Callais, 2013).
While The Interns gained fame with hits like “Dr. Feelgood,” and “Right String but Wrong Yo-Yo,” this newly found fame did not protect them from the harsh realities of the segregated south. “They played Mississippi in segregation days and slept in a station wagon because they couldn’t get a motel room” (Cooper, 1999).
As a Black woman guitarist, Watkins often experienced the twin oppressions of racism and sexism. When reflecting on her time playing with Piano Red, she recalled the limitations that women in the industry often encountered, at one point noting in an interview, “Back then I didn’t do nothing but looked pretty and played rhythm” (Cooper, 1999).
Being a woman who sang and played the blues meant that Watkins often encountered a high degree of skepticism from an incredulous audience who routinely questioned her abilities: “People are surprised when a Black woman can play the guitar like a man,” she explained. “Some people say, ‘I’ve got to hear this, ’cause I don’t believe she can do it.’ I just say, ‘Just wait until showtime comes’” (Cooper, 1999).
After showtime, male audience members would often ask her “where she learned to play like that?” to which she usually would respond, “Jesus” (Sandomir, 2019). Despite her obvious abilities, societal prejudices still loomed large. Men frequently told her, “Put that guitar down. You don’t need to be playing no guitar” (Sandomir, 2019). Watkins, however, remained undeterred.
After Piano Red and the Interns disbanded in 1965, Watkins played with numerous bands and opened for legends like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. However, she struggled to find consistent work and took jobs cleaning houses and washing cars to support herself. Throughout this period, she continued playing music, often performing as a solo act in Underground Atlanta, the artist entertainment district (Maddux, 2016).
In 1995, Timothy Duffy of the Music Maker Relief Foundation learned about Beverly “Guitar” Watkins through her frequent collaborator Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck (Maddux, 2016). Duffy began booking her for shows, including the Women of the Blues “Hot Mamas” tour that included Koko Taylor and Rory Block. Like her fellow Georgian, Precious Bryant, at age 60, Watkins released her debut album Back in Business in 1999 through the Music Maker Relief Foundation. The album earned her a W.C. Handy Awards nomination for Best New Artist Debut.
Watkin’s playing style blended what she called the “lowdown, stomping blues” with elements of rock and roll (Sandomir, 2019). Her second album, The Feelings of Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, was released in 2005, followed by Don’t Mess with Miss Watkins in 2007 and The Spiritual Expressions of Beverly “Guitar” Watkins in 2009. She also appeared on several compilation albums and earned nine music awards, including a European Grammy (Callais, 2013).
Watkins battled lung cancer in 2005, a fight that sidelined her temporarily but did not diminish her spirit. “It wasn’t no easy thing from where I started onto now,” she reflected. “I hung in there. I never gave up” (Haile-Mariam, 2016). She continued performing into her seventies, wowing audiences with her energy and skill. Reflecting on her career and what the blues meant to her, she said, “Blues is a feeling, and I’m grateful I’ve had a lot of opportunities to go out and share the blues” (Callais, 2013).
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins passed away from a heart attack on October 1, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 80. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of blues enthusiasts and “SisterFans” like myself who are thankful to “Mama Watkins” (Maddux, 2016) for paving the way for future generations of guitar-wielding Black women in blues. Let her life and music be a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.
Callais, R. (2013, October). Comeback queen. Offbeat, 26(10), 28–28.
Cooper, P. (1999). Back in business [Liner notes]. Music Maker. https://archive.org/details/cd_back-in-business_beverly-guitar-watkins_0/mode/1up
Haile-Mariam, S. (2016, May). Beverly Watkins. She Shreds: The Magazine Dedicated to Women Guitarists and Bassists, 10, 20–23.
Maddux, R. (2016, February 9). Hammer in her hand. Oxford American Society, 91. https://main.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/767-hammer-in-her-hand
Sandomir, R. (2019, October 8). Beverly Watkins, Fiery Blues Guitarist, Is Dead at 80. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/arts/music/beverly-watkins-dead.html
Skelly, R. (n.d.). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Biography. All Music. Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/beverly-guitar-watkins-mn0000062121/biography
Beverly Watkins. (2023). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beverly_Watkins&oldid=1179131867
Ford, R. (2020). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. In A blues bibliography: Update to the second edition (2nd edition, p. 326). Routledge.
Komara, E. (2006). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. In Encyclopedia of the Blues (Vol. 1). Routledge. https://archive.org/details/EncyclopediaOfTheBlues/page/n28/mode/1up
Duffy, T. (Ed.). (2004). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. In Music Makers: Portraits and songs from the roots of America (pp. 172–175). University of North Carolina Press. https://www.scribd.com/book/397679625/Music-Makers-Portraits-and-Songs-from-the-Roots-of-America
Johnson, M. V. (2007). Black women electric guitarists and authenticity in the blues. In E. M. Hayes & L. F. Williams (Eds.), Black women and music: More than the blues (pp. 51–71). University of Illinois Press. https://www.worldcat.org/title/black-women-and-music-more-than-the-blues/oclc/1050048208&referer=brief_results
Matabane, M. I. (2014). Axe to grind: A cultural history of Black women musicians on the acoustic and electric guitar in the United States [Dissertation, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University]. https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/ws859f962?locale=en
Atten, S. V. (2019, October 1). Atlanta blues woman enjoyed a late resurgence. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/atlanta-blues-woman-enjoyed-late-resurgence/MAH7Znzff7LcbI2XbPwJGO/#:~:text=Atlanta%20blues%20musician%20Beverly%20Hayes,Guitar%2C%E2%80%9D%20died%20Tuesday%20morning.
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. (2020, January 14). Guitar Player. https://www.everand.com/article/449066500/Beverly-Guitar-Watkins
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins: Five acts of a legend. (2020, February). Guitar Player, 54(2).
Bull Durham Blues Festival performers announced. (2016, August 5). The Herald-Sun.
Callais, R. (2013, October). Comeback queen. Offbeat, 26(10), 28–28.
Coltrain, M. (2017, April 1). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins: Still in business. Living Blues, 248, 10–19.
Earle, J. (2019, January 3). The gift of music: Atlanta icon Beverly “Guitar” Watkins keeps on playing for others. Rough Draft Atlanta. http://roughdraftatlanta.com/2019/01/03/the-gift-of-music-atlanta-icon-beverly-guitar-watkins-keeps-on-playing-for-others/
Emerson, B. (2000, October 2). It was no jam, but portrait of Georgia blues jells. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, B1.
Fanelli, D. (2016, March 30). Meet Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, “Queen of the Blues Guitar.” Guitar World. https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/meet-beverly-guitar-watkins-queen-blues-guitar
Finley, J. (2019). Living Legend: Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. Blues Festival Guide 2019, 80–81.
Ford, D. (2016, September 1). For Beverly “Guitar” Watkins the music speaks for itself. 88.5 WFDD. https://www.wfdd.org/story/beverly-guitar-watkins-music-speaks-itself
Francisco, C. in S. (2023, January 24). This blues legend released her debut album at 60. The Riff. https://medium.com/the-riff/this-blues-legend-released-her-debut-album-at-60-b0d9f88a908d
Gallant, A. (2013, March 27). Beverly Watkins: Born with the blues. Online Athens - Athens Banner-Herald. https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/2013/03/28/beverly-watkins-born-blues/15577380007/
Gambling, M. (2004, March 26). Women seek equal footing in musical groups. The Daily Tar Heel.
Glass, P. (2020). Better late than never: The story of Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. Classic Rock. https://www.loudersound.com/features/better-late-than-never-the-story-of-beverly-guitar-watkins
Glide. (2022, February 22). Song premier: Late blues guitarist Beverly “Guitar” Watkins gives a funk workout on “Do the Breakdown.” Glide Magazine. https://glidemagazine.com/270763/song-premiere-late-blues-guitarist-beverly-guitar-watkins-gives-a-funk-workout-on-do-the-breakdown/
Guitar Player Staff. (2021, November 18). 5 reasons Beverly “Guitar” Watkins remains a guitar legend. Guitar Player. https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/5-reasons-beverly-guitar-watkins-remains-a-guitar-legend
Haile-Mariam, S. (2016, May). Beverly Watkins. She Shreds: The Magazine Dedicated to Women Guitarists and Bassists, 10, 20–23.
Haile-Marlam, S., & Raye, K. (2016, August 23). 77 year-old blues guitar pioneer says slowing down is not an option. She Shreds. https://web.archive.org/web/20230618230954/https://sheshreds.com/beverly-watkins/
Ho, R. (2017, July 11). Atlanta blues guitarist Beverly Watkins on Steve Harvey’s “Little Big Shots: Forever Young” July 12 [Transcript].
Jacobs, A. (2004, March 21). Blues musicians get help overcoming hard times. New York Times, A16.
Lesemann, T. B. (2010, February 16). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins delivered soul and chops. Charleston City Paper. http://charlestoncitypaper.com/2010/02/16/beverly-guitar-watkins-delivered-soul-and-chops/
Little, W., & Stuart, A. (2015, August 24). Guitarist granny still rocking at 76. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/24/living/beverly-watkins-granny-guitar-feat/index.html
Lofton, D. (1996, April 27). Age can’t slow blues women. The Carolina Times.
Maddux, R. (2016, February 9). Hammer in her hand. Oxford American Society, 91. https://main.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/767-hammer-in-her-hand
Melton, W. (2019, October 21). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins: The lady played the blues. Valdosta Today. https://valdostatoday.com/living/2019/10/beverly-guitar-watkins-the-lady-plays-the-blues/
Merlan, A. (2016, February 9). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins is still alive, and still the coolest guitar player there ever was. Jezebel. https://web.archive.org/web/20231130081536/https://www.jezebel.com/beverly-guitar-watkins-is-still-alive-and-still-the-co-1758109313
Moore, B. (2017a, March 8). A lifer’s licks: Beverly “Guitar” Watkins has never stopped playing. Flagpole. https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn94029049/2017-03-08/ed-1/seq-9/
Moore, B. (2017b, March 8). At 77, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins keeps the licks coming. Flagpole. https://flagpole.com/music/music-features/2017/03/08/at-77-beverly-guitar-watkins-keeps-the-licks-coming/
Nelson, D. (1998, February). Music Maker: It’s the spirit behind the gift. Living Blues, 137, 12–25.
Pearl, M., & Buxhanan, C. (2019, December 10). Long before the web discovered a guitar-ripping granny, this Atlanta blues queen was blazing trails. 11 Alive. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/outreach/untold-atlanta/beverly-guitar-watkins-granny-atlanta-blues-legend/85-2bb39280-826f-4f96-88cb-683a8fcc6d17
Sandomir, R. (2019a, October 8). Beverly Watkins, Fiery Blues Guitarist, Is Dead at 80. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/arts/music/beverly-watkins-dead.html
Sandomir, R. (2019b, October 9). Beverly Watkins, 80, dies; electrifying blues guitarist. New York Times, A25.
Shaffer, V. (2018, June). Ten of blues most early influential female guitarists. Guitar Girl Magazine, 1(3). http://www.peachmusic.com/live/images/stories/reviews/180505-Peach-Guitar-Girl-Magazine-vol1-issue3.pdf
Show of the week: “Guitar” Watkins at the pavilion in Arcadia. (2011, September 15). Spartanburg Herald.
t.ballardlesemann. (2013, November 27). Rick Fowler and Beverly “Guitar” Watkins play the blues. Flagpole. https://flagpole.com/music/music-features/2013/11/27/rick-fowler-and-beverly-guitar-watkins-play-the-blues/
Fincher, I. (2024). An examination of mainstream media’s treatment of female guitarists. Journal of Popular Music Studies, 36(1), 23–50.
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Back in Business. (2000). Dirty Linen, 91, 86-.
O’cull, M. (2022, March 14). Review: Beverly Guitar Watkins “In Paris.” Rock & Blues Muse. https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/03/14/review-beverly-guitar-watkins-in-paris/
American blues-Music Maker Relief Foundation: Meet Beverly Watkins. (n.d.). Music Maker Relief Foundation. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from http://www.ibiblio.org/musicmakers/mm4000b/mm4007.html
Beverly “Guitar” Hayes Watkins. (n.d.). Find a Grave. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203497275/beverly-watkins
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. (n.d.-a). All Music. Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/beverly-guitar-watkins-mn0000062121/biography
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. (n.d.-b). Last.Fm. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://www.last.fm/music/Beverly+%22Guitar%22+Watkins/+wiki
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. (n.d.-c). Music Maker. Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://musicmaker.org/artist/beverly-guitar-watkins/
Beverly Guitar Watkins. (2006, June 17). https://web.archive.org/web/20060617230112/http://www.beverlyguitarwatkins.com/
Beverly Hayes Watkins 1939-2019. (n.d.). Ancestry.Com. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/181388635/person/392362225330/story
Blues legends. (n.d.). The Atlanta Blues Society. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from https://atlantabluessociety.org/legends/
Boppinbob. (2021, April 6). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins born 6 April 1939. From the Vaults. https://fromthevaults-boppinbob.blogspot.com/2021/04/beverly-guitar-watkins-born-6-april-1939.html
Breathnach, C. (2019, October 9). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins has died aged 80. Guitar.Com. https://guitar.com/news/music-news/beverly-guitar-watkins-has-died-aged-80/
Ehrenclou, M. (2022, March 18). Celebrating 20 female blues & rock guitarists. Rock & Blues Muse. https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/03/18/celebrating-20-female-blues-rock-guitarists/
Haile-Mariam, S. (2019, October 10). Remembering Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. Medium. https://medium.com/@sarahailemariam/remembering-beverly-guitar-watkins-dff359c4493
Horowitz, H. (1019, October 2). Beverly ‘Guitar’ Watkins, R.I.P. Creative Loafing. https://creativeloafing.com/content-463107-beverly-guitar-watkins-r-i-p
James, H. (n.d.). Three big mamas. Hudson Valley Music. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.hvmusic.com/article/werewolf/hotmamas/hotmamas.shtml
Merlan, A. (2016, February 9). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Is Still Alive, and Still the Coolest Guitar Player There Ever Was. Jezebel. https://web.archive.org/web/20231130081536/https://jezebel.com/beverly-guitar-watkins-is-still-alive-and-still-the-co-1758109313
Music Maker Foundation to release legendary Beverly “Guitar” Watkins set, premieres ‘Red Mama Blues.’ (2022, January 18). American Blues Scene. https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2022/01/music-maker-foundation-to-release-legendary-beverly-guitar-watkins-set-premieres-red-mama-blues/
Ovadia, S. (2022, March 16). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins shows the blues is about intensity. Working Mojo. https://www.workingmojo.com/beverly-guitar-watkins-shows-the-blues-is-about-intensity/
Reyna, F. (2020, September 28). 7 guitarists that prove Black women were pioneers in music history. She Shreds. https://web.archive.org/web/20240423153337/https://sheshreds.com/7-guitarists-that-prove-black-women-were-pioneers-in-music-history/
Nigut, B. (2016, May 16). Atlanta Originals: Phillip Depoy and Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. Georgia Public Broadcasting. https://www.gpb.org/news/2016/05/16/atlanta-originals-phillip-depoy-and-beverly-guitar-watkins
Powers, C. (2016, August 28). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins keeps playing the blues (Ep293). https://web.archive.org/web/20160828053339/https://americanamusicshow.com/beverly-guitar-watkins-keeps-playing-the-blues-ep293/
Prescott, V. (2019, October 4). Remembering Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Tatum’s Legacy in Blues Music. Georgia Public Broadcasting. https://www.gpb.org/news/2019/10/04/remembering-beverly-guitar-watkins-tatums-legacy-in-blues-music
80-year-old, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, can shred a guitar behind her back. (2019, August 13). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1p1VhFq9jU
Beverly Guitar Watkins. (2014, March 4). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDPJzhohx9Y
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins. (2016, February 18). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUUqSKQcXgE
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins / Rick Fowler Band—Rock Me—The Foundry 10/29/18. (2019, January 3). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMwcxhnI3yk
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins & Rick Fowler Band—"Wrong Yo-Yo"—2016. (2022, May 19). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-mq7hepSMs
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins’ 76th Birthday Show! (2015, September 12). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XRXy-ixqB8
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins: An Atlanta legend of the blues. (2019, December 10). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC-Rd0sJoJM
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins and Mudcat Band, @ Blues to Bop Lugano 8th edition Aug 1996. (2023, March 3). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7gLMJDmDs
Beverly Guitar Watkins and the King Bees. (2011, September 8). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy2qBO_DLLU
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins and The Rick Fowler Band—"What I Say"—07/10/17. (2022, December 20). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKNS5Im3Y
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at the 2016 King Biscuit Blues Festival. (2019, October 1). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4mLmo_tF7I
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins: Glory Be. (2010, July 12). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itY1eX3BcVQ
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Interviewed by David Payne (exclusive). (2014, June 13). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfmBI3bNHuU
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Jams on HARRY. (2017, October 25). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V93hyYXTWok
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins w/ Rick Fowler Band—"Back in Business"—Foundry—09/24/16. (2019, October 19). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkCzwrWJps8
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins w/Rick Fowler Band—"Blues is Alright"—80th Birthday—04/27/19. (2019, May 2). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanzlLEWQYI
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins w/Rick Fowler Band—"Red Mama"—07/10/17. (2020, January 15). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuk4BXXvpmo
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins w/the Rick Fowler Band—80th Birthday Show—04/27/19. (2021, April 17). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiDf9TXqjKY
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins—Live blues @ Northside Tavern, Atlanta—Fri Apr/8/2016. (2016, April 9). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny_073NOlKc
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins/Rick Fowler Band—"G Harp Blues"—11/30/13. (2014, February 22). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48t9mp2RA-o
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins/Rick Fowler Band—"Gimme Some Funk" (end)—Athens, Ga. 11/30/13. (2014, January 3). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rm-MwuZgqA
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins—Rock Me Baby. (2023, March 12). [Video recording]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw0S0WqXMdk
Blues guitar master Beverly Guitar Watkins: Back in business. (2009, October 7). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgfAvOR6tAQ
Conversation with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins during the Oxford Blues Festival. (2017, July 15). [Streaming]. University of Mississippi. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/libpresentations/3
Rock Me Baby—Beverly “Guitar” Watkins w/the Rick Fowler Band, Foundry, Athens, Ga., 03/10/17. (2018, May 1). [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPv92ABFNP4
Watch: 4 Excellent Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Performances You Should See. (2019, April 4). Reverb.Com. https://reverb.com/news/watch-beverly-guitar-watkins-greatest-performances
Watkins, B. “Guitar.” (2016, March 26). Beverly “Guitar” Watkins keeps playing the blues (Ep293) [Archived streaming episode]. American Music Show. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828053339/https://americanamusicshow.com/beverly-guitar-watkins-keeps-playing-the-blues-ep293/
A Great Big Story (Producer). (2019, August 10). Queen of the Blues [Streaming]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZJE6-EXcHA
Banks, L., & Duffy, T. (2004). Living the blues [Film], in the Timothy Duffy Collection #20044, Southern Folklife Collection. Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/20044/
Tim Duffy, Ferrarie, A., & Johnstone, C. (Directors). (2009). Toot blues [Streaming]. Folkstreams. https://www.folkstreams.net/films/toot-blues
Beverly Watkins—Back in business, Blues Music Awards, Best New Artist Debut, 2011-22nd W.C. Handy Blues Awards, Nominee. (n.d.). Blues Foundation. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://blues.org/awards/
"Recorded shows, documentation of the set lists and performers, and photographs from show tapings make up the Atlanta Jazz and Blues Show Collection. 280 individual episodes of the program, dating from around 2005 to the show's end in 2018, are included."
Archival materials for Beverly "Guitar" Watkins include:
"The posters series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists of several hundred wall posters, flyers, album flats, and promotional displays for a wide range of artists."
The poster for Beverly "Guitar" Watkins is located in over-sized poster #24.
Finding aid: https://sclfind.libs.uga.edu/sclfind/view?docId=ead/ms3837_2.xml
"The collection consists of KCUR radio broadcast on analog and digital tapes, dating from 1953 to 2005, as well as CD-Rs and digital files, dating from 2002 to 2017."
“Timothy Duffy, a white folklorist and musician, produced field recordings of the American roots tradition as an undergraduate at Warren Wilson College and while working on a folklore master's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A few years after graduating in 1991, he co-founded the Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMRF), a non-profit organization near Hillsborough, N.C., that helps southern roots tradition musicians meet their financial needs and gain recognition for their work. The collection chiefly relates to MMRF and includes artist files, CD liner proofs, correspondence, photographs, posters, audiovisual materials, and other papers, including Duffy's student papers and projects.”
Archival materials for Beverly "Guitar" Watkins include sound recordings, posters, performance clips, and interviews.
Finding aid: https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/20044/
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMC009) / Jericho (91007-2). Format: CDr, Album. Released 1999. View Liner Notes
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD32). Format: CD, Compilation. Released 2003. View Images
DixieFrog (DFGCD 8649). Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Digipack. Released 2008 (France). View Images
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD 46). Format: CD. Released 2005. View Images
Ruf records (RUF 1110)(RCD 10322). Format: CD, Compilation. Released Oct. 25, 2005. View Liner Notes
DixieFrog (DFGCD 8633). Format: CD. Released 2007 (France). View Images
Music Maker Relief Foundations (MMCD108). Format: CD. Released 2009. View Liner Notes
Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMCD 166-1). Format: CD, Compilation. Released 2014. View Liner Notes
Featuring Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, Etta Baker, Precious Bryant, Taj Mahal, Guitar Gabriel, and more.